Sprinkler, including coupling



SPRINKLER, INCLUDING COUPLING Filed Jan. 4, 1954 FIG-2 35 I Ii 36 3 1 IN V EN TOR. WRAY DUDLEY ATTORNEYS WWWa/i United States Patent 6 SPRINKLER, INCLUDING COUPLING Wray E. Dudley, Troy, Ohio, assignor to The Skinner Irrigation Company, Troy, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 4, 1954, Serial No. 402,072

1 Claim. Cl. 299-49 This invention relates to sprinklers and more particularly to sprinklers for irrigating purposes which incorporate a rotary nozzle construction.

In sprinkler devices incorporating a rotary element, it

divided abrasive material, and it is found that such abrasives have a serious effect upon the bearing surfaces, for example in the case of the bearing which is employed to take the thrust in a sprinkler incorporating an impact type nozzle structure where the nozzle is advanced or rotated with a step-by-step motion under the action of an impact device.

An additional hazard to which such sprinklers are often exposed in use is wind, and more especially to abrasive materials such as sand which are blown against the sprinkler by the wind. Difiicult wind conditions of this nature are frequently encountered in areas where sprinklers are especially needed for irrigation purposes, as for example in portions of southwestern United States, and they can cause considerable damage to the sprinlcler by abrasion unless adequate measures are taken for protection of the moving parts of the sprinkler.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a rotary sprinkler of improved and simplified construction which is capable of a long useful life under even the most severe adverse conditions outlined above without interference with its operation either by abrasive materials in the water supply or by wind and abrasive materials carried thereby across the area being irrigated by the sprinkler. I

Another major object of the present-invention is to provide a sprinkler assembly incorporatin'g a sand-proof bearing and supporting unit which is of simple construc tion embodying a minimum of component parts and which utilizes the line pressure of the liquid flowing therethrough to increase its sealing pressure against access to the moving bearing parts by abrasive materials in the liquid.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a rotary sprinkler assembly in which the sprinkler body and its bearing and supporting unit are constructed for cooperative relation to shield as much as possible all of the moving bearing structure from abrasive materials carried by the wind.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claim.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away,

Patented May 28, 1957 showing a rotary sprinkler assembly constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on a large scale taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

. Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sprinkler assembly includes a rotary sprinkler body 10 constructed for mounting on the upper end of a suitable standard or supply pipe 11, and the sprinkler body incorporates a main nozzle 12 and a driving nozzle 13 arranged on opposite sides thereof. The driving nozzle 13 discharges a driving jet against a deflector device 14 carried by the impact arm 15 mounted for oscillating movement on the upper end of the body, and the impact arm in turn cooperates with an impact pad 16 on the portion of the body 10 carrying the nozzle 13 to cause step-by-step rotating movement of the sprinkler body with respect to'the pipe 11. The speed of this movement is controlled by adjustment of the torsion spring 17, which is provided with an adjustable connection 18 with the sprinkler body, preferred results having been obtained with this mechanism constructed as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 402,073, filed of even date herewith, now Patent No. 2,778,681. In addition to driving the sprinkler, the nozzle 13 also provides water for irrigation of the area immediately surrounding the sprinkler, while the water discharged by the main nozzle 12 falls in an annular area spaced around the sprinkler and the intermediate area watered by the driving jet.

This sprinkler assembly incorporates a special bearing and support constructed for maximum protection against damage by abrasive materials such as sand and the like which may be present in the water or may be carried by the wind. The main support is a tubular adapter 20 having-a pipe thread 21 at its inlet end for direct mounting on the supply pipe 11. The outlet end of the adapter is similarly threaded to receive the lower end of a bearing member 22, which is preferably formed of bronze or like suitable bearing material and may advantageously have a hexagonal outer portion as shown to facilitate connection to the adapter, which is shown as having a similarly hexagonal portion.

A stem 25 of brass or other suitable material of low coefiicient of friction is mounted for rotation and relative axial movement within the bearing member 22. The upper end of stem 25 extends into and is threaded or otherwise secured directly to the sprinkler body 10, and a thrust spring 26 surrounds the upper portion of stem 25 and rests on the upper end of the bearing member 22. As shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the sprinkler body is formed with a skirt portion 27 proportioned to depend in telescoping relation over the spring 26 and the reduced upper end portion 28 of the bearing member to form av shield preventing abrasive materials from being blown by the wind against these moving parts, especially against the junction of the stem 25 with the upper end of the bearing member 22, as well as abrasive materials running down the sprinkler body, such for example, as soil splashed thereon by an adjacent sprinkler on an irrigation line.

The stem 25 is provided near its lower end with a circumferential collar portion 30, which may be integral thereon as shown, and this collar 30 forms the thrust surface for cooperation with the thrust bearing 32 formed by the lower end of the bearing member 22. A thrust washer or gasket 33 is mounted between these cooperating thrust surfaces as shown, and the thrust spring 26 supports the weight of the sprinkler body on the bearing member 22 with suflicient force to maintain the seal at the thrust washer 33 whether the sprinkler is operating or at rest. This spring also provides resistance to prevent the sprinkler from turning backwards under low pressure conditions, such as during the gradual buildup of pressure in afield irrigation system, and in addition it maintains sufficient friction between the thrust washer and its mating surfaces to prevent too rapid rotation, of the sprinkler. In operation, the line pressurealsoasserts an upward force on the sprinklerbody increasing the thrust on the thrust washer 33, and the entire lthrustof the rotative movement of the sprinkler head is. sustained by these parts. It is therefore essential to continued smooth operation of the sprinkler that maximum protection be afforded against access .to these thrust surfaces by any abrasive materials which may bepresent in the water pp y- Inorderto accomplish this result, the adapter .20 is formed with. an internal annular seat35 located intermediate its two ends, which may serve also as a seatto receive the lower surface bf the shoulder 30 when the sprinkler is'not in operation. The stem.25 includes. a portion36 of substantial length whichprojects beyond the shoulder. '30 thereon into the interiorof the adapter and below the seat 35. A -.sealing ring 40 isreceived on the under side of the seat 35in sealing relation with the inner surface of the surrounding portion of the adapter and the. outer surface of the projecting end portion 36 of stem 25. Highly satisfactory resultshave been ob: tained in operation with this ring-4t) constructed as shown of resilient rubber material with a U-shaped section providing inner and outerannular lips 41 and 42 having a groove 44 therebetween and a substantially flat opposite surface 45 for firmly seated engagement on the seat 35.

The sealing ring 40 should be initially proportioned for definite sealing engagement with the opposed surfaces of the adapter20. and the stern portion 36 as shown, and in operation the line pressure of the water supply will be applied in the groove 44 in such manner as to urge the lips 41 and 42 apart and thus into increased sealingengagfirnent with the stern and the adapter. As the result, thoroughly efiective sealingris provided against any possible accessof the liquid and any abrasivematerials therein to the upper portion of the adapter which enclosesthrust bearing surfaces of the stern and the hearing member. At the same time, it will be seen that this bearing unit is of very simple construction and provides not, only definite advantages, of economy of manufacture, but also is easily maintained and serviced as may be required forgreplacement, of the sealing ring or. the thrust washer. Thissupporting unit thus cooperates with. the

sprinklerbodyas describedto give positive assurance against interference with operation. of the sprinkler by abrasive materials :eitherin the water supply orbeing blown across the land: and. accordingly provides maximum assurance for the continued long operating life ofthe sprinkler.

Whil'e the device herein described constitutesa preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited to this precise device, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is de- "fined in'the appended claim.

to the outlet end of said adapter, a hollow stem journaledin said bearing member to receive the liquid from said pipe, said stern having thereon a circumferential shoulder located within said adapter and on the outlet side of said seat therein, a thrust bearing on the inlet end of said bearing member for rotatable thrust engagement with said shoulder, said stem including an end portion projecting beyond said shoulder thereon into the interior of said adapter and beyond said" seat, means for securing the outletend of said stem to said sprinkler body, a sealing ring of resilient material received on said seat between the inner surface of said adapter and :the opposed outer sur face of said projecting end portion of-said stem, said ring being of generally U-shaped cross section providing inner and outer annular lips with a groove therebetween, said sealing ring having its surface opposite said groove therein constructed for seating'onthe surface of said seat remote from said thrust bearing to maintain said ring spaced from said. thrust bearing with said groove facing said inlet end of said adapterto cause the line pressure to urge said. lips into sealing engagement with said opposed surfaces of said adapter and said stem preventing access of said liquid to said thrust bearing while providing for relativeaxial movement of said stern and said adapter without affecting the sealing engagement of said sealing ring therewith, and said opposed surfaces of said adapter and said stem being smoothly cylindrical for readily maintained sealing engagement with saidlips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 486,383 Mercader Nov. 15, 1892 794,499 Hageman July 11, 1905 1,448,876 Sladden Mar. 20, 1923 1,450,126 Wilson Mar..27, 1923 1,460,154 Frazier June 26, 1923 1,996,899 Buckner Apr. 9, 1935 2,101,938 Giberson Dec. 14, 1937 2,323,701 Barksdale July 6, 1943 2,338,716 Hardwick Jan. 11, 1944 2,574,874 Koeppel Nov. 13, 1951 2,592,753 Sigmund Apr. 15, 1952, 2,619,380 Jepson Nov. 25, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,475/33 Australia June 28, 1934 134,360 Australia Sept. 21, 1949 142,205 Australia July16, 1951 

